Category Archives: Festivals

Newport Jazz Festival is described as the “Meaning of Jazz” since 1954.This famous event originated in Newport, RI and is still a tradition today. It gives the audience the true feel of jazz while start-off musicians perfrom for their first time to large audiences. Such as Clara Ward Singers and Drunkard Singers, who made their first stand in Newport.

After this music explosion from Newport Jazz Festival, it inspired a movie to be filmed dedicated to the music. Bert Stern filmed “Jazz on a Summer’s Day”, a documentary about captures the meaning of rhythms and blues, and rock in 1958. The following year, 60,000 attendees came to the Newport Jazz Festival for all four days to watch these styles of music. Even Louis Armstrong spent his 70th birthday in Newport and sang at the Newport Jazz Festival. The Jazz Festival became so famous that it spread to New York City, and Boston, which is still going on today.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton attended at the 40th Anniversary of Newport Jazz Festival. The famous mansion the Breakers contributed to the music holding the Newport Jazz Festival in 2004. Then finally Fort Adams State Park took the honor of programming the Newport Jazz Festival for its 60th Anniversary for three days. This event has evolved into a focus group towards emerging artists and is still today. Contributing to rising artists and charities, it has been an incredible event.

Besides the amazing history that convinces the crowds to come, but the location is breathtaking and something you cannot miss. Fort Adams State Park is one of the best locations in Newport; it has a perfect view of the bridge along the water of the east passage. It also has sea breeze to keep you cool during the festival when things are warming up.
The 2016 Newport Jazz Festival is held on July 29-31 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and mostly at Fort Adams. On the first day, there will be a cocktail party at the Horse Shoe Piazza within the International Tennis Hall of Fame. If you would like to attend the preconcert party it is $75 and watch the jazz artists you can reserve seats for prices of $45-$100. There are different sections at the International Tennis Hall of Fame that will determine how much you would like to spend. They are offering beverages, alcohol, and food as well.
The main Newport Jazz Festival will start on July 29, and will remain in this location for the following two days. The general admission tickets will be between $15-$89 depending on what you want included. A two-day admission is $145, which is the most common. If you are a die hard fan of Jazz you can purchase the three-day admission pass for $170.
If you are a picky eater, do not worry because there will be plenty of food choices to choose from. Acacia café food truck, Ben’s Chili Dogs, Del’s Lemonade, Open Season Catering, Thai Jasmine, and much are all vendors attending.

Newport Jazz Festival is the ultimate to celebrate the history of jazz and the true meaning.

A million daffodils are blooming all over the city of Newport, making a big enough impression to have a festival for an entire week. Dog lovers, artists, kids, and adults will have something to participate in the Newport Daffodil Days Festival. Starting on April 16th through April 24th, there will be “daffy” events including bike tours, garden parties, art activities, doggy parade, gorgeous home tours, and more. Even though most of the activities are free, you can purchase a daffy pin to have discounts in the activities and shops throughout Newport.

Cliff Walk at Salve Regina

Opening day will have a ribbon ceremony with games, live music, and a daffy conga line at Bannisters and Bowens Wharves. Meanwhile families can “doodle the daffodils” on a take-home canvas for free at the famous Cliff Walk.

If drawling is not your expertise, there will be a photography workshop at the Cliff Walk within the following day. It will have a significant location at the O’Hare Patio, Salve Regina University. The Newport Photographers’ Guild experts will guide the audience how to take the perfect “Daffodillion” photo, so you can enter the online contest.

Within the same day, dog owners can dress their dogs in the daffiest attire for the Daffy Doggies Parade. It will run through Bannister’s Warf to Queen Anne Square, so they can match the daffodils along the sidewalk. The best daffodil outfits will be awarded when entering the competition. This is one parade that will be a must see.

On April 18th, everyone will have another chance to draw the Daffodils at the Miantonomi Park while the Hot Diggity Daffy Dog Barbeque takes place. The Pell School is also contributing the daffy art by the Chalk-A-Lot Of Daffys event on April 19th. This event is welcoming to create sidewalk canvases of the schools’ daffodil gardens.

If you didn’t hear enough music at the earlier events, the famous Christopher Carbone will be sharing musical stories on April 20th. It will be among the daffodils at the Redwood Library, where families can participate in fun games, and win prizes.

On April 21st, Newport Tree Society is having an annual Spring Fling at the Chanler on the Cliff Walk. You can bring your daffy derbies, and wear your most attractive hats for a prize. There will a big toast among the thousands of daffodils. This is the time to dress up and listen to the amazing live music that will be playing.

Even the Newport’s Mayor is going to join the festival by a tree planting on April 22nd. He will be honoring Earth Day and celebrating Newport 15 annual year of being a Tree City. Afterwards, you can bring children to a tree climbing demo with Carlie Ridolph. It is also a perfect time to go on a tree walk to see more of the daffodils at the Miantonomi Park.

On April 23rd, there will finally be private garden tours of the daffodils at the hillside with more than 150,000 bulbs planted on the corner of Catherine and Gibbs Avenue. Of course the Newport Vineyards is having a toast for almost 500,000 daffodils in bloom. You can join their wine tasting and food sampling.

During the day, bike tours will begin at the Touro and go all through Newport. You must not forget to stop at Ballard Park for “Bouquet Bar”, where you can purchase spring flowers. Families can also enjoy nature with a tree walk to see Woodsy the Owl.

The last day, April 24th will end with private house tours of the beautiful homes. Their gardens filled with beautiful daffodils. On top of the tours there will be antique cars at some of the houses. Some of the classical cars will be driven along the Long Warf, Ocean Drive, and Bellevue Avenue. The festival will have a final garden party with live music and ballet at the Bellevue House with a cash bar.

There is a little something to do for everyone in this daffy festival. You would not want to miss it.

Summer is a busy time for music in Newport, with the highlights being Folk Fest the last weekend in July and Jazz Fest the first weekend in August. But what about the few days in between these two giant music festivals? Well that is what BridgeFest is for: to “bridge the gap” between these two festivals in order to keep the music going for ten full days. It starts on July 27th and goes through July 30th with over 50 artists at more than nine venues.

BridgeFest was created by the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County in order to give visitors a reason to stay and locals a reason to get out and enjoy some local music. They work with the Newport Festival Foundations to support the local music scene in Newport. BridgeFest hosts all types of musicians, aspiring music students, emerging artists, galleries, wineries, farms and restaurants. This is the 7th year of the festival.

Some of this years festival locations include: Queen Anne Square, Jimmy’s Saloon, Bowen’s Wharf, Trinity Church, St. Matthews in Jamestown, and the Redwood Library. There will be an opening night Soiree held on the 27th to kick things off. It goes from 6pm to 8pm at the Sanford-Covell Marina on Washington Street. ZanRicky will be playing and the Rhode Islands Ballet Theater will be putting on a dance performance. This event will also feature a silent auction, a raffle, wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres.

To check out whose playing and when, click here. Keep the music going and support your local musicians!

As Newport heads into the Summer Season, take advantage of the many festivals that June has to offer.

The Great Chowder Cook-Off: Despite the location change, the Great Chowder Cook-Off is back to kick off the summer season here in Newport. It will be held on June 6th at Fort Adams State Park, with endless chowder samples, live music and activities.

British Motorcar Festival: Held at Colt State Park in Bristol, from June 12th-14th, this three day festival showcases over 300 vintage British Motorcars. There will be a variety of events taking place all weekend such as the British Car Corral, a Friday Night Street Party, The British Racing Paddock, Motorcar Display, The Concours D’Elegance (the only one in the United States), a Ladies Hat Competition, and a Sunday Morning Drive.

Newport Flower Show: Celebrating it’s 20th year, the Newport Flower Show held at Rosecliff from June 19th-21st, will be showcasing the American Beauty Rose. Rosecliff was the birthplace of the American Beauty Rose and it is now a symbol of excellence. The weekend will be filled with a variety of events and special guests celebrating this classic and timeless flower.

Clayfest on the Lawn at Rough Point: Rough Point and the Newport Art Museum will be celebrate the art of clay with their exhibition of: “Fired and Inspired: Ceramics at Rough Point,” on June 27th. Enjoy a day full of pinching, coiling, throwing and firing clay while relaxing on the lawn at Rough Point.

Back for it’s fourth year, the Newport Craft Beer Festival will be taking place over two days, May 8th and 9th. Co-Sponsored by the Newport Storm Brewery and Pour Judgement Bar & Grille, this 21+ event will feature beers from 35 craft breweries. There are three sessions to choose from, starting Friday, May 8th from 8-10pm. This session is on a much smaller scale from those on Saturday, with only 75 tickets available. Named the VIB (Very Important Beers) event, this session will be held at the Newport Storm Brewery and will features beers not available at the larger sessions on Saturday.

There are two sessions on Saturday, one from 12pm-3pm and the other from 4pm-7pm. Both will be held downtown at the Great Friends Meeting Place. These sessions will showcase craft breweries from around the country. Unlimited beer samples are included with the ticket price, as well as a souvenir glass. Brewery staffs will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about their beers. The festival will feature a special area exclusive for Rhode Island beers. While at the festival, guests can participate in choosing their favorites by voting for the “Fan Favorite Award.”

Local Restaurants will be serving up food while live bands perform during each session. The Festival proceeds benefit the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, which is a non-profit organization supporting local craft breweries.

For more information and to purchase tickets, check out the craft beer festival website here.

Posted in Festivals | Comments Off on Plenty to try at the 4th Annual Newport Craft Beer Festival

October is one of my favorite months in Newport, because while the temperatures are lowering, there’s still so much to do. Every weekend in October is filled with fairs and festivals of all sorts, celebrating food, fun and the outdoors. Here’s a list of what’ll be going on around town.

Norman Bird Sanctuary 40th Annual Harvest Fair: This year’s Harvest Fair will be held on October 4th and 5th right on the grounds of the Norman Bird Sanctuary. There will be a variety of activities and entertainment such as the Mabel Express Barrel Train, Monkey Bridge, mud pit and midway, pony rides, music, crafters from around New England and plenty of food. There will also be a variety of competitions to see who has the best single fruit and vegetable, most unusual vegetable, jack-o-lantern, best fresh flower arrangement and more.

International Oktoberfest: This year’s Oktoberfest will take place on October 11th and 12th down at the Newport Yachting Center. It’s known as the waterfronts “official sendoff to summer” and includes the sights, sounds and tastes of Bavaria. A variety of seasonal beers and German cuisine will be available along with music all day long. There will be three Biergartens this year and plenty of space to enjoy a nice beer… or six

Bowen’s Wharf Seafood Festival: The seafood festival will be held October 18th and 19th. This festival honors the “harvest of the sea” and includes a variety of delicious seafood options from many of Newport’s great restaurants. Seafood such as clam chowder, stuffies, lobster dinners, oysters and more can be enjoyed on the waterfront and will be accompanied by live music both days from 11am until 5pm.

Third Annual Newport Food Truck Festival: From 11am to 4pm on Saturday, October 25th, more than 20 of New England’s best food trucks will be serving up great eats at the Newport Yachting Center. There will be live music and drinks to accompany the wide array of choices from BBQ to seafood to ice cream sandwiches.

The 9th Annual Newport Mansions Food and Wine Festival will be held from September 19th to the 21st at The Elms, Rosecliff and Marble House. A variety of events are held all weekend long, with the Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday as the main event.

The festivities start on Friday, September 19th with Wine and Rosecliff, a night of great music, food and vintages. Wines presented at this event are generally not found at the grand tastings. Some wineries showcasing their wines are: Villa Maria, Nicolas Gueillatte, Chateau d’Escalan, Sequoia Grove, Larkin Wines and others.

The Grand Tastings take place on the Marble House grounds on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Guests can enjoy hundreds of wines from around the world as well as food samples from many caterers and restaurants. A variety of celebrity chefs will be around for free demonstrations and book signings. This year, Sara Moulton and Martha Stewart will be among the celebrity chefs sharing their skills. There will be a silent auction for luxury goods and wines and each guest receives a souvenir glass.

Other events happening over the course of the weekend include: the Collectible Wine Dinner (Saturday, 7pm at the Elms), Newport After Dark (Saturday, 9pm, Forty One North), Winemaker brunch (Sunday, 1030am, Marble House) and a variety of wine seminars held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (Friday) and the Chinese Tea House at Marble House (Saturday and Sunday).

The 44th Annual Newport International Boat Show will take place on the Newport waterfront September 11th-14th. This is one of the largest in-water boat shows in the country and will take up 13 acres of Newport’s waterfront. There will be all sorts of makes and models of powerboats and sailboats from 16ft to 85ft. When you aren’t out on the water boarding and viewing a large selection of boats, there will be a variety of marine services and products being showcased on land. Both international and domestic dealers will be present, available to answer questions and to give loads of information.

There will be a variety of events and seminars happening throughout the weekend. Some of the highlights are: the “At the Helm” training program, the 4th annual cruisers party, a chance to meet author, Judy Silva, and more. Hundreds of vendors will be there showcasing their products. Whether you’re looking to buy a boat for the first time, purchase a new boat or are just looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon, the 44th Newport International Boat Show is the perfect place to be.

The Newport Music Festival has been around since 1969 and has produced over 2,100 concerts in a variety of venues throughout Newport, including the Preservation Society’s Historic Mansions. They have brought over 1,000 artists to the stage, including over 100 who made their American debut. While the first Music Festival took place in 1953, the festival as we know it today didn’t start until 1969, three years after the non-for profit, the Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc. was incorporated.

The early years of the Newport Music Festival were an important part of romantic revival and included many members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. They partnered with the Preservation Society of Newport County, which brought the music back to venues that it was created to play in. Dr. Mark P. Malkovich III became the Festival’s General Director in 1975 and remained in the position until 2008 when his son, Mark Malkovich IV assumed the role. Dr. Malkovich became well known for introducing young international artists and showcasing emerging American artists.

The Newport Music Festival showcases music from the Romantic era (1820-1910), but has also expanded and includes a wide variety from Bach to Bernstein. This years festival will be held from July 11th through the 27th and will include 68 concerts, about 3-5 per day. Morning concerts will be held at 11am, afternoon at 4pm, and nighttime performances will be held at 8pm or 9pm, depending on the location. Concerts will include chamber music, ragtime and tango and several concerts will occur as tribute to the 150th anniversary of the German composer, Richard Strauss. Around 80 musicians from 18 countries will be performing, 30 of which will be making their Newport debuts. The festival will open on July 11th with the Hungarian pianist, Gergely Bogányi, and will end with a two piano, two percussion ensemble “extravaganza.”

Concerts will be held at a variety of locations including: Aldrich Mansion, Blithewold Mansion, the Newport Grand Events Center, Rosecliff, the Breakers, the Elms, Casino Theater, Redwood Library, CCRI, St. George’s School Chapel, Saint John the Evangelist, Edward King House, Touro Synagogue and the Newport Art Museum.